BIO102L: Introduction to Evolutionary Biology and Ecology Lab

Unit 1: A Scientific UnderstandingYou have already done some exercises related to the scientific method
in BIO101. This unit, however, will focus on
the scientific method in greater depth, examining its importance within
scientific thinking as well as its applications. Understanding
scientific thinking is particularly important for a course focusing on
evolution. Since it was first put forth, the concept of evolution has
been received with much hostility from a variety of sources outside of
science; to understand why and how the theory of evolution has become
near universally accepted within the scientific community, you must have
a concrete understanding of the scientific method.

Unit 1 Time Advisory
This unit should take you approximately 2 hours to complete.

Unit1 Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this unit, the student will be able to:
- Design an experiment.
- Distinguish between testable hypotheses and non-testable
“experiments.”
- Analyze and critique the experiments of others.
- Identify and evaluate components of experiments.

Instructions: Read this webpage on the scientific method in its
entirety; it will both detail the basics of the process to you and
explain how and why the scientific method is a conceptual
underpinning of scientific research and thought.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

Instructions: Click on and read through the five examples (Car,
Disease Detective, Forensics, Yeast, Frog) of how the scientific
method has been or can be used. Please note that the correct
link for the frog exercise is the following: Hartwick College:
Professor Sessions’ “Deformed Amphibian
Research” (HTML);
click on choice 2 (“find out for myself”) to read about this
research. Finally, click on “Pseudoscience” and choose one of the
examples given in order to get a sense of how non-science is often
presented in a scientific manner.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

Instructions: Complete this assessment once you have finished the
above-assigned resources in Unit 1. Read through this page of
tutorial on the scientific method to learn more about the terms used
to describe aspects of experimental design. Then click on number
three at the bottom of the page, “The Scientific Method Quiz,” to
test your understanding of the process and terms.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.